This invention relates to the treating of machine components such as windings of motor stators and the like. The invention is concerned with new components or with components which have been used in service and are to be cleaned as well as components such as motor stators which have been completely burned out and are to be rewound. Such components may range from various size motors of, for example, five horsepower to 300 horsepower and the invention may equally apply to large industrial motors such as wound rotor motors used, for example, in water works as well as to components such as magnetic clutches.
Various attempts have been made in the prior art to rewind stators. It has been known, for example, to mount the stator in a horizontal position in a cabinet which is slightly tilted and then to rotate the motor when a coating material is applied thereto. Various prior art attempts have used hoses with nozzles attached thereto for applying the coating substance. A common approach taken by the prior art is to dip a hot motor in varnish and then bake the varnish thereon as a coating substance. Such a process frequently takes as long as 6 hours and generally the process requires a double dip and baking and in many instances the dipping may be repeated by as much as five times. The use of such expedients by the prior art is not only complicated and expensive but is very time consuming. Frequently, however, time is of the essence such as when a burned out motor must be replaced since the motor may be required in conjunction with other industrial processes.
The resultant motors of the prior art processes likewise have various disadvantages. In this respect such conventional motors include phase barrier material between the individual phase groups. Further, extensive lacing is required to hold the individual phase groups in place. Moreover, problems arise with conventional motors because of the dead air spaces in the slots which cause the heat of the wires to rise and lead to motor damage. Still further the prior art approaches which utilize varnish has the disadvantage that when the varnish is heated to evaporate the solvent, air spaces are created. A distinct disadvantage with any such air spaces is the generation of ozone which is a strong oxidizing agent and such ozone would be present in the air pockets.